From 15.02.2019 12:45 To 22.02.2019 10:30

The Week ahead

Take a look at what we have coming up over the next seven days. Explore our EPP Group agenda and the main issues we’ll be focusing on in the week ahead: from upcoming debates in the European Parliament on important legislative and policy issues to the meetings that our Members will be attending.

15.02.2019

The Week ahead

EU-Turkey relations should be built on conditionality

Turkey

The Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on Wednesday on the Report assessing Turkey's progress in 2018. The EPP Group is adamant that relations between Turkey and the EU have to be redefined in terms of an effective partnership, notably based on the Customs Union, cooperation on shared geo-political challenges and political issues of common interest. Turkey should not receive EU membership. However, we insist that any renewed political engagement between the EU and Turkey should be built on key conditionality provisions concerning respect for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. We call in particular on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus question, to resolve legal obligations and unsettled disputes with all its neighbours and to respect their territorial integrity and sovereignty.

MEPs Involved:
Press officers:
Vladislav Panayotov VELEV

Press Officer for Foreign Affairs Working Group, Security and Defence, Human Rights, Foreign Interference and Disinformation Committees. National press, Bulgarian Media

Erasmus+: more funding, less bureaucracy

Erasmus+

On Wednesday, the Culture and Education Committee will vote on the Report on the Erasmus+ Programme authored by Milan Zver MEP. “European programmes need to be equally accessible to all European citizens, regardless of their socio-economic background. My first goal is to make Erasmus+ the Number One programme of inclusiveness”, said Zver. Erasmus+ is one of the most popular EU programmes as it reinforces the sense of European identity, increases employability and supports the personal and professional development of young and older Europeans.

Restoring the rule of law in Malta and Slovakia

What happened in Malta and Slovakia with the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak respectively, cannot be swept under the carpet. We insist that the masterminds of both murders are identified and brought to justice. The Resolution being voted on in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday pushes forward a number of steps which should be taken to protect the rule of law in both countries.

More transparent and predictable working conditions

Man

The Employment Committee Members will vote on Tuesday on creating more transparent and predictable working conditions. The text updates the current rules to inform every worker on working conditions by creating new minimum standards to ensure that all workers, including new employment forms, such as online platform (like Uber, Amazon, etc) workers, benefit from more transparency and predictability regarding their working conditions. "Up to three million workers active in new forms of work, like workers on zero-hour contracts and domestic workers, will be covered, which hasn't been the case until now", points out EPP Group Chief Negotiator on the file Dennis Radtke.

New rules to save lives on EU roads

Traffic

In 2017, the number of fatalities on EU roads reached 25,300. The new rules on type approval requirement for vehicles aim to reduce this number by putting in place safety requirements. The proposal considers technical progress, like tyre pressure monitoring systems, intelligent speed assistance, driver drowsiness and attention monitoring/distraction recognition systems etc. The European Parliament’s Rapporteur Róża Thun also wants special focus on protecting pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. In addition to this, it should also pave the way for the development of fully automated-driving vehicles in the near future. The vote in the Internal Market Committee will take place on 21 February.

New fairness and transparency rules for digital platforms

Apple

The EPP Group welcomes the deal reached on fairness and transparency rules for digital platforms (like Amazom, Google or eBay) as it is the first legislation of this kind at EU level. The new transparency rules will improve the functioning of the Digital Single Market by safeguarding a fair, predictable, transparent, sustainable and trusted business environment for smaller businesses and traders when using online platforms. In other words, businesses that rely, for example, on platforms and search engines to attract customers will benefit from the new transparency rules and this will be to the advantage of both consumers and businesses. The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee will vote on the agreement on 21 February.